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Keith, 32, pictured right, with the East End Surf Lifesaving Club Kevin Harrison, Dave Butler and Patrick Bennett Taranaki in the first tr marathon of 1982. (File photo)
A pedestrian who died after being hit by a car in Tokoroa in the early hours of Sunday was an avid rugby fan who had just finished watching the historic All Blacks event.
Keith Robert Roebuck, 70, of New Plymouth, died after the accident on State Highway 1.
His wife, Louise, was also injured and is in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit at Waikato Hospital.
Keith Roebuck’s son, Anthony Roebuck, said the family was still coming to terms with the accident, while supporting his stepmother Louise as she undergoes multiple surgeries.
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Anthony said his father, his wife of 25 years and two other couples had traveled from New Plymouth to Tokoroa in three motorhomes on Friday night for a food festival on Saturday.
After going to the festival, they went to a local pub to watch the Bledisloe Cup tryout between the All Blacks and Australia. “He was a huge rugby fan,” Anthony said.
They then walked 500 meters to where their motorhomes were parked, when the couple was hit by a car in a crosswalk.
Keith Roebuck was well known within the Taranaki construction industry, with the Roebuck family building homes in the region for more than 40 years.
His father, also named Keith, founded Roebuck Construction in 1946, before selling it in the 1980s.
Keith Roebuck then started his own construction business in New Plymouth, which he ran for 35 years before establishing a partnership with Anthony as K&A Roebuck Construction. He retired in 2014 and Anthony took over.
Keith was also a life member of the East End Surf Lifesaving Club. The club’s flag flew at half mast on Monday.
“He is quite well known in the community. He is a legend for all the sporting achievements he has achieved, “said Anthony.
Keith played for Tukapa Rugby Club most of his life and once he stopped playing, he watched every game without fail.
“You just don’t miss it.”
He then started racing Coast to Coast, ranking first in his age group and learning road cycling.
“The only good thing is, he’s been fully retired for six years,” Anthony said. “They had this caravan, they tripped. They had a pretty good time.”
The siblings would miss their father’s advice and support.
“It is really inspiring. I really admired him, ”he said.
“He was our role model. He encouraged us to do what we wanted to do, “Anthony said.
He is survived by six children and nine grandchildren.
Investigations into the circumstances of the accident were ongoing and a police spokeswoman said it was too early to speculate on what may have caused the accident.
